Leo writes

Must have security apps - For Windows

These are FREE programs I recommend nearly every weekend. All Windows users should download and use these to protect themselves against viruses and spyware.

Anti-virus

Choose one (and only one) of these:

• AVG free anti-virus - every bit as good as Norton and not as intrusive.
• Anti-Vir - a new free anti-virus and looking very good
• Our sponsor, NOD32 from Eset - it’s not free but it’s the best Anti-Virus I’ve ever used.

Spyware Killers

You should only use one anti-virus at a time, but it’s ok to have multiple spyware killers. In fact, I recommend it.

• AdAware - One of the first Sypware killers and still one of the best
• Spybot S&D - My favorite. Use the immunize feature to protect yourself against future infection.
• Spyware Blaster - Run this to protect Internet Explorer from browser hijacking
• Microsoft’s AntiSpyware - excellent and free!
• Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner - If all else fails do it by hand with this! It performs a very fast scan and gives you a step by step insruction on how to remove the little buggers.

Safer Browsers

Internet Explorer is not the safest browser to use - nor is it the best. I recommend one of these free choices based on Mozilla (Gecko).

• Mozilla - Full featured, includes an e-mail program and web design tool
• Firefox - just the browser. Small, speedy, and powerful. My first choice for web browsing.

IE-based web browsers are not safer (Avant Browser, Crazy Browser, iRider, Maxthon [pka MyIE2], NetCaptor, NeoPlanet, SlimBrowser) since they only offer alternative interfaces plus some of the extra features on top of IE. These “shell” applications are not new browsers. Under that new “skins”, however, deep down they’re still IE! And still subjected to IE targeted attacks. Same issue at AlternativeEmailClientToMsOutlook and AlternativesToInternetExplorer. Read more about IE at Wikipedia. —Kalic

Also you can use Netscape, or just as long as you stop using IE (Internet Explorer) for normal browsing the only reason you will needed it is to run Windows Updates and a few other things— Zkay

Check out a new online service AuditMyPC which offers free security tests for your firewall, popup blocker, and a spyware scan, too.

Q What software firewall you do you think good Leo? I’ve been using Zonealarm long since before broadbrand connect was the norm. — Paul Wan

Zonealarm is a still very good firewall, but it suffers from creeping featuritis. My new favorite, free, firewall is the Sygate Personal Firewall. It’s very powerful and has proved reliable on my system.

Which raises an important point. Anti-virus and firewall programs are very invasive. They have to be to get the job done. The programs I’ve recommended above are good and reliable, but as with any system level software they can cause problems on your machine. And since they’re free you can’t expect any support from the vendor. I’ve had good results with these programs, but your mileage may vary.

That’s why for most people I don’t recommend a software firewall. An Internet router like the Linksys Etherfast provides most of the protection of a software firewall without the relibility issues. If you’re using DSL a broadband router has the added advantage of replacing the software PPPoE dialer - which is convenient and can also improve reliability. Broadband routers are cheap, as little as $50.

We’ve had reports of installation problems with AVG Anti-virus. These are almost always caused by a virus infected system. Many new viruses and spyware programs block anti-virus installation. I recommend you scan your system for spyware and viruses before you attempt to install an anti-virus. There are several excellent free online virus scan programs for Windows (they require Internet Explorer by the way):

• Housecall from Trend Micro, makers of PC-Cillin
• Panda Active Scan from Panda Software

There are others - please add them here.

• OpenBSD

• WinPatrol from BillP Studios

• Check Point

-Andy-

QLeo, is Opera just as stable and secure as Firefox is? What do you think?

Opera, like Mozilla and Firefox, is safer to use. My only problem with it is that is doesn’t support as many web pages as the Mozilla products do. Any browser that does not support ActiveX and ActiveScript will be safer than Internet Explorer. In this case, less powerful is better.

Must have security apps - For Macintosh

Just the one suggestion from this Mac user.

Little Snitch: Network traffic monitor. Runs in background at startup. Once set up with “rules” this a great app to prevent unathorised transmissions. Easy to configure. Nice interface in the System Preferences.
Linky: http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html